Igniter for combustible-vapor engines.



PATENTED JUNE 2'7, 1905.

, W. J. PERKINS.

IGNITBR FOR GOMBUSTIBLE VAPOR ENGINES.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

APPLICATION FILED me.11,19o2.

Q/Vwnmao Mww/WZWW PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

W. J. PERKINS.

IGNITER FOR GOMBUSTIBLE VAPOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.11, 1902.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

NITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

IGNITER FOR COMBUSTIBLE-VAPOR ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,223, dated June 27, 1905.

Application filed August 11,1902. Serial No. 119,166.

To all wit/mt it may concern:

Be it known thatLWILLIs J. .P mamas, acitizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lgnitcrs for Combustible- Vapor Engines; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in igniters for combustible-vapor engines and the means for operating the same; and its object is to provide an improved igniter, improved means for operating the same, to cool the movable electrode, to mount both electrodes in a single removable body, to cool the said body, to provide a suitable igniter for a reversible engine, to provide improved means for changing the time of the ignition and for throwing the igniter out of action, to lubricate and protect the mechanism for operating the igniter and to prevent the same from throwing or scattering oil, to simplify and 'cheapen the construction, and to provide the device with certain new and useful features hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My device consists, substantially, inthevari ous novel features of construction and arrangement of parts of the igniter and of the means for operating the same, as will more fully appear by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved igniter; Fig. 2, an inner end view of the same; Fig. 3, an outer end view of the same; Fig. 4, a vertical section of the same on the lines & l of Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 5, a cross-section of the spring-operated hammer, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a detail of the pivot-pin of the dog on the hammer; Fig. 7, a rear elevation of an engine having my igniting device attached and with parts broken away; Fig. 8, the same in side elevation; Fig. 9, an enlarged detail of the means for adjusting the operating-rod of the igniter; Fig. 10, a transverse section of the same on the line 10 10 of Fig. 9, and Fig. 1L the same on the line 11 11 of Fig. 9.

Like letters and numerals refer to like parts in all of the figures.

A represents the inner wall, and A the outer wall, of the combustion-chamber of a combustible-vapor engine provided with means for circulating water in the space between said walls for cooling the engine and adjunctive parts.

To readily attach or detach the igniter and to properly cool the various parts of the same and also to providea simple and compact structure, I prefer to mount all the various parts of the igniter on a suitable body or plug adapted to be inserted in openings in the walls A and A and to be detachably secured therein and having a large surface exposed to the cooling-water. I prefer to make these openings in the walls A and A tapered and in axial alinement and to make the plug or body with corresponding truncated conical portions B and B to fit and close said openings and having its middle portion reduced to tubular connecting portions E and E, around and between which portions the cooling-water circulates freely and also contacts the opposing surfaces of the portions B and B, whereby the plug is effectually cooled. To secure this plug in place, I prefer to provide lugs C, through which are inserted cap-screws 1), inserted in suitable openings in the wall A. All of the mechanism of the igniter proper is mounted on this plug, so that all are removed in operative relation to each other by merely detaching the plug from the engine.

F is the stationary electrode extending through the plug near one side thereof, and G an arm constituting the movable electrode and mounted on a rock-shaft H, journaled in the plug near the other side thereof. These electrodes are provided with suitable contacts F and Ur to close and break the circuit to produce the spark. It is desirable that these contacts should be separated as quickly as possible to produce the best results, and to this end I prefer to locate the contacts as far away from the axis of the movable electrode as possible without unduly enlarging accidentally detached.

the plug and to open the circuit by a blow delivered by a spring-operated hammer. v These results I prefer to secure by cutting away one side of the electrode F to near the plane of its axis and locating the contact F at the side of the electrode remote from the rockshaft H and the contacts Gr near the end of the arm G. By this construction the contacts can also be adjusted to properly engage each other and can also be adjusted for wear or otherwise by turning the electrode F about its axis. For closing and opening the circuit I prefer to operate the rock-shaft and arm by means of an arm journaled on the rockshaft and connected thereto by a spring to close the circuit, said arm also operating as a spring-operated hammer to open the circuit. I prefer to arrange the same as follows: On the outer end of the rock-shaft is a collar K, having a lug K extending opposite to an arm N, having one end J journaled on the shaft and yieldingly held in engagement with the lug K. This lug K serves as an anvil against which the arm M strikes as a hammer, said arm being actuated by a spring L. This spring is preferably detachably attached to the hammer M by a hook L at one end and serves to detachably secure the collar K to the rock-shaft by having its other end L inserted in openings in the collar and shaft. I can thus readily detach the various parts by disengaging the hook L from the hammer and removing the spring, and when in action it is impossible for the parts to become To hold the circuit open, I provide a spring, preferably as shown at I, consisting of a coil attached at one end to the arm or hammer and having its other end inserted in one of a series of openings C in the plug. By shifting this end in the openings the tension of the spring may be adjusted. A boss C extends within the spring I to provide an extended bearingfor the rockshaft H. This spring tends to turn the arm Gr away from the electrode F and normally holds the circuit open, with said arm against a stop, (not shown,) and also cooperates with the spring L to force the hammer against the anvil. The circuit is thus opened by a blow of the hammer induced by both springs together with the pull of the spring I. To operate these parts, I provide a reciprocating lug or projection and a pivoted dog to engage the same. For this purpose I prefer to mount the dog on the hammer, as shown at N, and the lug to engage the same on a reciprocating rod, as shown at 13 and 14c, and to per- .mit the lug to reciprocate in a right line the dog is adapted to move toward and from the shaft, for which purpose it is preferably pivoted on the outer end ofthe hammer and substantially at right angles thereto and engages a stop M to limit its outward movement and is yieldingly held out by a spring P. To detachably secure the pivot-pin O in place, I prefer to extend the same, making the extension flexible, and bend the extended portion back over to the pivot portion, as at O, and engage the same with a groove in the hammer and provide the end with a hook O to engage the side of the hammer. The pin is thus fully secured in place and can easily be detached by springing the parts 0 O outward. The repeated engagement of the contacts F and G tends to turn the electrode F upon its axis, and I prefer to secure it against so turning by making the same tapered and inserting it in a tapered opening'in the plug and securing it therein by a nut F on its small end. When the engine is running rapidly, it is advisable to fire the charge considerably in advance of the end of the return stroke of the piston. This insures more perfect combustion and corresponding increased power; but when running slowly the charge must be fired later to avoid kicking back or reversing the engine and to enable the minimum weight of balance wheel to be used. To change the relative time of firing or to produce the early or late spark at pleasure, I prefer to provide two or more lugs (two being shown) to engage the dog at predetermined periods of piston positions to effect an earlier or later action of the igniter and to provide means for shifting the lugs to bring them severally into engagement with the dog, as desired. I also prefer to provide for throwing the lugs out of action to stop the igniter altogether, as occasion requires. I prefer to use the device shown, in which 13 is the lug for the late spark and 14: the lug for the earlier spark. These lugs are preferably mounted one in advance of the other on a reciprocating rod 12 and held and adjusted thereon by a sleeve 24, having projections 25 at each side of the lugs for maintaining the lugs in relative position. This sleeve is adjusted by nuts engaging screwthreads on the rod, the nut 26 engaging the lugs at the top and the nut 26* engages the sleeve at the bottom, and by moving these nuts on the rod 12 the lugs are vertically adjusted. This rod 12 is reciprocated by any convenient means. I prefer to operate it in conjunction with a plunger 9, adapted to serve as a pump-plunger for a circulating-pump 10 for the cooling-water or any other purpose, and for this intent I connect the plunger and rod by an arm 11, attached to the plunger, in which arm the rod is rotative about its axis and held from longitudinal movement therein by collars 11* and 11'. I prefer to provide a bearing for the lower end of the rod, and for this purpose the rod is extended below the collar 11 and engages a suitable bearing 8, in which it both reciprocates and rotates. This lower bearing thus keeps the arm and plunger from turning about the axis of the plunger and binding the eccentric-strap. The plunger 9 is reciprocated by any convenient means, preferably by an eccentric 3, mounted on the crank-shaft, and a strap 5, connected to a suitable pivot-pin 6 in the lower end of the plunger 9. If preferred, however, it may connect direct with the rod 12 and the plunger be omitted.

The type of engine shown is what is known as base-compression, in which the crank and connecting-rod are inclosed in a case beneath the open lower end of the cylinder and inclosing the same. To protect the eccentric and strap, to lubricate the same by the oil in the case, and to prevent these parts from throwing or scattering oil, 1 inclose the same in a case, preferably an extension 7 of the main case and provided with a stuffing-box for the plunger 9 and bearings for the crankshaft, one of which engages and holds the strap from coming off the eccentric. \Vhen the engine is required to be reversible and run in either direction at pleasure, the eccentric is fixed or set with its full side in line with .the crank by a cap-screw or other fastening st, by which it is securely attached to the crank. This causes the rod 12 to reciprocate simultaneously with the engine-piston, and thus operate the igniter in the same relative time when the engine runs in either direction. \Vhen the engine is to move in one direction only, the eccentric is left loose on the crankshaft and a spring-catch provided so as to revolve the eccentric, with the crank-shaft, in one direction only. To turn the lugs toward the igniter and bring any one of them into action or to turn them so that no one will act, this red 12 is also made adjustable about its axis. I prefer to accomplish this by making the rod tubular at its upper end, (see Fig. 9,) in which is inserted a guide-rod 15, having an enlargement 20, supported and rotatively adjustable in asuitable bearing 17, this enlargement being provided with as many recesses as occasion requires, (three being shown,) with which a stop-pin 21 engages, said pin being longitudinally movable in a suitable chamber in the bearing 17 and pressed into engagement with the recesses by a spring 22. The rod is provided with a handle 18, by which it is rotated and the pin forcibly shifted from one recess to another. To turn and hold the rod 12 and permit the same to reciprocate, I prefer to provide a sliding connection between it and the rod 15, preferably, as shown, by slotting therod 15, as at 16, and inserting a transverse and shouldered key 19, extending through the rods and having its shoulders engaging the interior of the nut 26 below the sleeve 21, and with its ends engaging recesses in the lower end of the sleeve, whereby the key is secured in place and the sleeve is held from turning on the rod and the rods held from turning relative to each other, and the key traverses the slot 16 and permits the rod 12 to reciprocate on the rod 15, the rod 12 thus being rotatively adjusted and also supported at the upper end by the rod 15. The lugs are so adjusted that when the lug 13 is turned to engage the dog N and operate the igniter the charge will be lircd at or about the time the piston is at its extreme upper position and the crank on the upper center, and when the lug 14 is turned the same the charge will be tired considerably in advance of the said positions to properly operate the engine at high or full speed, and when turned between the described positions neither of said lugs will engage the dog and the igniter will thus be put out of action to slow or stop the engine. in each of these positions the pin 21 engages one of the respective recesses 23 and holds the parts in adjusted position until properly shifted by the lever 18.

The igniter operates as follows: the lug rises and engages the dog N the latter is carried upward and away from the lug in acurve, thus turning the rock -shaft by overcoming the spring 1. This closes the circuit by engaging the contacts F and G. The spring L now must yield and the hammer M is raised from theanvil K. This contact is maintained for a time to allow the current to act and un- .til the dog by receding from the lug on the,

arc of a circle slips off the end of the lug. The hammer being thus siuldcnly relieved and propelled partially by the spring L, but mainly by the spring 1, and thus delivers a vigorous blow on the anvil K, and thus causes a very sudden separation of the contacts F and (1, thus insuring the most desirable conditions for producing an effective spark to ignite the charge. As the lug descends the dog pre sents an inclined surface to the lug, and it is moved inward by sliding contact of the lug therewith, and after the lug has descended the spring restores the dog to outward position again.

Ido not limit myself to the specific construction shown. Many and various modifications and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what 1 claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an igniter, an electrode adjustable about its axis and having a contact-surface arranged substantially in the plane of its axis and. at a distance therefrom whereby said contact-surface is adjusted toward and from the movable electrode by rotating the adjustable electrode, a movable electrode engaging the said contact-surface, and means for operating the movable electrode.

2. in an electrode, a removable plug, a retatively-adjustable electrode inserted near one side of the plug, a contact-surface arranged substantially in the plane of the axis of said electrode and near the side of the electrode nearest the periphery of the plug, a rock-shaft journaled in the plug near the side thereof epposite the said electrode, an arm on the rockshaft to contact the said surface, and means for operating the rock-shaft.

3. In an igniter, the combination of a plug having truncated conical ends adapted to close alined openings in two separate walls, said plug also having a reduced middle portion connecting said ends, and electrodes extending through the said ends and middle portion.

4. In an igniter, the combination of a plug consisting of two truncated conical end portions and two separate tubular middle portions, and an electrode and a rock-shaft extending through said end portions and through the respective middle portions of the plug.

5. The combination of a combustible-vapor engine having separate walls to retain a cooling fluid, and having alined conical openings, a plug having truncated conical ends to close said openings, and reduced tubular middle portions, and electrodes extending through said ends and middle portions, whereby the plug is cooled by contact of the fluid between said walls.

6. In an igniter, a plug having truncated conical ends, and two reduced tubular connecting middle portions, and an outwardly-projecting boss in line with one of said middle portions, an insulated electrode extending through the plug and one of said middle portions, a rock-shaft extending through-the plug, the other middle portion and the boss, an anvil and an arm fixed on the shaft, a hammer journaled on the shaft and engaging the anvil, means for operating the hammer, and a spring surrounding the boss and connected to the plug and hammer at its respective ends.

7. In an igniter, a plug having truncated conical ends adapted to close tapered openings in the walls of an engine, an insulated electrode and a rock-shaft extending through the plug, an arm and an anvil fixed on the shaft, a contact on the end of the arm, and a contact on the electrode, and at the side thereof remote from the rock-shaft, a boss on the plug and surrounding the shaft, a hammer journaled on the shaft, a spring surrounding the boss and connected at its respective ends to the plug and hammer, and a spring connected to the shaft at one end and to the hammer at the other end.

8. In an igniter, a plug having truncated conical ends, to close alined openings in the walls of an engine, an insulated electrode and a rock-shaft extending through said plug, means for producing an electric spark attached to the shaft and electrode, a boss on the plug and surrounding the shaft, a hammer journaled on the shaft, a series of holes in the plug, a spring surrounding the boss and adjustable in said holes at one end and connected to the hammer at the other end, a collar on the shaft, an anvil on the collar, and a spring having one end extending through the collar and shaft and the other end attached to the hammer.

9. In an igniter, a rock-shaft, an operatinghammer journaled on the rock-shaft, a collar on the shaft, an anvil on the collar and en gaged by the hammer, and a spring having a hook at one end to engage the hammer and hold it in contact with the anvil, and having its other end extended through openings in the collar and rock-shaft.

10. In combination with an igniter, a reciprocating and rotative rod havingatubular end, lugs on the rod projecting in different directions from the rod, and at different portions of its length, means for reciprocating the rod, a guide-rod inserted in the tubular end, means for rotatively adjusting the guide-rod, and a sliding connection between said rods.

11. In combination with an igniter having an operating-dog, a longitudinally-reciprocating rod having a tubular end, differently-projecting lugs on the rod, and at diiferent portions of its length, and adapted to engage the dog, a guide-rod rotative on its axis and having a slotted end inserted in the said tubular end, a key engaging the slot in the guide-rod and extending through the reciprocating rod, anal means for adjusting and holding the guidero 12. For operating an igniter having an operating-pawl, a longitudinally-reciprocating rod having a tubular upper end, a rotative guide-rod having a slotted end inserted in said tubular end, a sleeve on the reciprocating rod having upwardly-extended side portions, adjusting-nuts at each end of the sleeve, opp-ositely-projecting lugs at different levels on the reciprocating rod and between the extended portions of the sleeve, a key extending through the sleeve and rods, and means for rotating and holding the guide-rod.

13. In combination with an igniter, a reciprocating rodhavingoppositely-projectinglugs to operate the igniter at different times relative to the stroke of the engine, a guide-rod movably connected to the reciprocating rod, and having lateral recesses, a bearing in which the guide-rod is journaled, a stop-pin in the bearing to engage the recesses, and a spring to operate the stop-pin.

14. In combination with an igniter having an operating-pawl, a reciprocating rod having a tubular upper end, a sleeve and adjustingnuts on the rod, two lugs on the rod between one of the nuts and the sleeve and adapted to alternately engage the pawl, a guide-rod journaled in a bearing and having a slotted end inserted in the tubular end of the reciprocating rod, a key in the sleeve and rods, lateral recesses in the guide-rod, a stop-pin to engage the recesses and a spring to operate said pin.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WVILLIS J. PERKINS.

Witnesses:

J. W. BROWN, J. A. Coon. 

